It won't be long now............

It’s been coming for quite some time. Over the last six months or so that we have been waiting, we would think of it, from time to time. Peaceful little smiles would appear on our faces, and we would sigh. Every so often, I would get our step stool, place it in the middle of our kitchen, get up on the second step, and in my best announcer voice, I gave the current countdown status.
(very loud voice)
“YO MON. YO MON. TODAY THE DIMINISHING DAILY NUMBER STANDS AT 196. AND GOING DOWN”.

At that point, there is just so much enthusiasm you can put in to “196” days out. But I do the counting thing anyway. I know that each time I announce the disappearing digits current numeral, it just keeps getting lower and lower.
Sometimes Syl is here for my oration. Sometimes not. That’s okay.

Days pass and add up to months. During that time, I continue with the weekly whereabouts standings. “YO MON. YO MON. TODAY, AS THE COUNT CONTINUES, WE HAVE REACHED THE LOW POINT OF 152. A LONG TIME IN COMING, I MUST SAY. AND GOING DOWN”.

This little scenario plays itself out over the course of all those days. Sometimes I may not focus on the count. After all, it’s still pretty far out. The important thing is, that it is out in front of us and we continue to move forward regardless of anything. We just have to “let it happen”, as madding as that is.

Well, now, we find ourselves in the final stretch. The moments have meandered downward and we can both feel the energy that is starting to build. My step stool days have given way to just walking around the house and every so often, I would whisper the number. “26, 26. That’s all that’s left. 26”. The more the numbers decrease, the more our anticipation and excitement increases.

There will be times that, if I happen to pass a mirror as I moved about here, or anywhere, my body has an immediate reaction. I become frozen in front of the reflection. My head tilts a bit to one side or the other. My eyes are wide and fixed, staring intently at themselves. A wide, sorta dumb smile covers my face. Just a little drool appears on my lower lip. I am held captive and I am captivated as the numbers get smaller.

The whole miniscule minute in front of the mirror, really doesn’t last long. It just seems to feel that way. But each time I am face to face with myself, the feelings and emotions surrounding our soon to arrive vacation/retreat, are undeniable and oh so familiar to me.

If, as I sit here typing, I close my eyes, I can see that first morning after the day we arrive…………………………

Standing out on our balcony in the early morning, is a beautiful quiet and serene time. Very few guests are out walking around at that hour of the morning. Of course, our friend Delroy is walking his beat back and forth along the shoreline, dragging that big wooden rake behind him. He stops long enough to straighten some of the lounge chairs, and pick up some debris. He sees me here and waves hello to me. I return the greeting. No words. It’s to early to be yelling.

Each long pass create tiny furrows in the sand. Much like the gardeners furrows where he plants seed. There is no music playing, no human sounds of any kind. Just a new day emerging. Silently coming ashore from the far distant eastern horizon. A few Man-o-war birds, high in the bright blue sky, riding the rising currents of warm air, circling around and around, keeping an eye open for breakfast.

The early morning turquoise waters, are still and clear. The new morning sun is fragmented into thousands of tiny sparkles that glide across the liquid mirror surface. As though Tinker belle flew by, waving her wand, and made sparkle and pop dazzle us, and we all “Ohoooooooo” I love to watch this all take place each day that I am here, but I can also see these scenes in my mind, when I am back home.

Over the next few weeks, everything will continue to build in excitement and anticipation. It’s the same every time and I love it.

And as an added bonus, we are traveling to CTI on my birthday. Nov. 8. That ought to be a good travel day. In fact, I’m going to drag out all the celebrating as long as I can. Next stop, level 72.

We like the Premier Ocean. Those rooms are on the 2 and 3 floor of the main building, number 3, as well as, in the new building #2. Even the rooms in building #4 aren't bad. They overlook the swim-up pool bar.
If being on the ocean side is not important to you, you can same some $$ with any of the Garden view rooms. Preferably on second or third floor.